Outrun
by the-empire-falls
Summary: Naomi's home after two years abroad. Emily doesn't care. At least, she tries not to care. Post 408
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, but I love them as if they were my own. **

She was coming home.

Emily hadn't moved, spoken, or as far as JJ could tell, blinked since that piece of information had been released.

'Emily?' he asked uncertainly, waving a hand in front of her face.

Snapping out of it, she batted the hand away irritably. 'Fuck off, JJ.'

Effy smirked.

'You too,' she warned Effy, who held up her hands innocently, exhaling a plume of smoke that shifted across her face and up into the air.

'Am I missing something children?' Gina placed a pot of tea on the mat in the centre of the table. The flowing material of her sleeves wafted the perfume from her wrists. It smelt like sweet fruit. Emily fucking loved that smell. It scented the whole house.

Gina always called them children, despite their perpetual aging. Emily sometimes half worried that Gina actually thought they were her children seeing as she had, quite spectacularly, misplaced her own.

'I think Emily's shell-shocked,' Effy said through another cloud of smoke.

'I am not,' Emily mumbled.

'You were displaying a number of the classic characteristics Emily,' JJ observed.

'Shell-shocked about what?' Gina asked, pulling a seat out from under the table and sitting down. She plucked the cigarette from between Effy's lips and stubbed it out in her saucer. 'Sorry love,' she said, 'if Kieran comes home and sees you smoking in here he'll think he's allowed to do it.'

'Whatever,' Effy shrugged before continuing, 'Emily just found out your rogue daughter's on the home stretch.'

Gina eyed Emily warily. 'Are you okay, love?'

'Of course I am!' Emily hastily replied. 'I don't know why everyone thinks I'm not. I'm absolutely fine. She can do whatever she bloody well likes.'

'The lady doth protest too much, methinks,' JJ grinned.

'Shut up JJ,' Emily said.

'... my pride fell with my fortunes,' he conceded quietly.

Emily rolled her eyes. Shakespeare was the last thing she needed right now.

'Can you stop being a tit for a second JJ?' Effy requested politely. 'Emily's still adjusting.'

'Oh just stop it, all of you,' Emily snapped, folding her arms and watching the amber liquid splash into her cup as Gina tilted the teapot forwards.

Gina gently knuckled Emily's chin, forcing Emily's gaze in her direction. 'It was news to me too love,' she said. 'I found out from Effy.'

Effy lit another cigarette casually, inhaling deeply, 'Naomi's just a bit of an inconsiderate cow.' Smoke seeped from her mouth as she spoke. 'No offence Mrs. C,' she added.

'None taken,' Gina consented, taking the cigarette from Effy and stubbing it out again.

It was Effy who had started coming to Gina first, when she felt she had nowhere else to go, and nothing left to hold on to. It was Naomi who had first brought her here, wrapping the shaking girl in her own coat and depositing her in the arms of her confused mother, before rushing immediately to Cook's side. Eventually, one by one, they'd all started trickling to her door. Emily was the last one. Initially she had found it very hard to even go near the house. Now she spent more time there than she did anywhere else. Every evening after they had finished work, they'd all wend their way back to Gina's kitchen. Emily sometimes wondered if Effy ever actually left.

'So when does the prodigal return?' Emily asked, trying to make it sound like it made very little difference to her.

'Tomorrow evening,' Gina answered.

Emily glanced over at the calendar secured by a magnet to the fridge. Tomorrow's date was circled. It had been for a while. Why hadn't she noticed before?

'You miss her a lot don't you?' Emily asked, sadly.

Emily was consistently amazed by Gina. How she listened for countless hours to other people's problems, comforting them regardless of whatever had happened without ever revealing that she was sad, lonely ... hurt.

'I do miss her,' Gina agreed, 'But I'm sure I'll have had enough of her in a few days,' she said, with her famous 'that's enough about me, let's talk about you' smile.

'She's not staying long then?' JJ asked.

Gina shrugged, pouring milk into her tea from the china jug on the table, 'I expect she'll stay a few days. She'll want to catch up with Cook. And I imagine I can expect both her and Effy to stagger in gone midnight and fall about the living room for a while.'

Effy gave a small nod of agreement.

'She'll want to see you too, Emily,' Gina added.

Emily snorted, 'I doubt that somehow.'

'We all do stupid things, Emily,' Gina told her.

'Naomi just manages to do about twenty a day,' Effy finished the sentence for her.

'That implies that potentially, given the average length of a stupid activity as around zero point three recurring, Naomi spends roughly sixty percent of her day doing stupid things,' JJ interjected, maths whirring around his brain as usual. He paused thoughtfully. 'That's pretty stupid ... er ... no offence Mrs. Campbell.'

'None taken. And it's Gina, dear. How many times?'

Emily was just about to protest once again that this conversation was entirely trivial seeing as she didn't care if Naomi was returning from the other side of the planet or not, when the door opened and Katie clattered loudly into the kitchen.

'I've had the most _ridiculous_ day at the shop,' she announced. 'Seriously, what is it like ... international _wanker_ day or something? My feet fucking kill and the coffee machine was broken and our entire delivery of maternity knickers hasn't turned up _again. _Which means either the delivery company is hugely perverted or there's a massive charity for pregnant women that have to go commando operating in the area – ' She stopped for air, '... and I got splashed by a fucking bus on the way here. Like _mid-stride_ so it got _both_ of my legs. Budge up Em, fuck's sake,' she concluded, shuffling Emily along and plonking herself down on half of Emily's seat.

Once Katie had finished her rant, she took the time to absorb the atmosphere of the room.

'What the fuck's going on in here then?' she asked, looking from person to person as they exchanged glances around the table.

'Emily's upset because Naomi's coming home tomorrow,' Effy summarised.

'I am not upset,' Emily argued.

'Really? Tomorrow? Oh just fuck her Em, she's not worth worrying about,' Katie said, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder, 'No offence Gina,' she added.

'None taken.'

Emily shot an apologetic look in Gina's direction. 'Look everyone,' she said, 'I really appreciate how concerned you all are,' she paused, 'or how amusing you find it,' she glared at Effy, 'but it's been two years. I'm over it. And I'm over her. I couldn't give a shit if she's coming home. Tomorrow or ever. No offence Gina.'

'None taken.'

**(Thank you for reading my first chapter :D)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Aw man! I'm totally blown away all the reviews and favourites and alerts. I wasn't going to update this until the weekend, but seeing as you've all been so nice ... ;)**

**(ps, to whoever asked. Yes this is set after season 4 and Freddie is sadly no longer with us).**

Well first thing was first, she'd need a date.

Emily absently stirred the spoon through the froth of her coffee. She was sat outside her favourite cafe, tucked just around the corner from the top of the high street. It was Saturday and usually she'd be at Gina's for a vegetarian fried breakfast, but she'd forced her feet to start walking the opposite direction that morning. JJ would have to eat her helping. He already would have had to eat Effy's, which Gina always put in front of her despite the fact she never ate a single bite, preferring instead to slice open the quorn sausages suspiciously and then push the plate away.

Katie had mentioned a girl at work a few days ago who apparently 'looked alright for a lezzer'. She couldn't remember her name, but she would ask Katie for her number when she saw her.

Several crisp packets scuttled past her feet in the breeze. She missed Gina's kitchen.

'Thought I'd find you here.'

Emily looked up sharply in time to see Effy sit down in the empty seat next to her.

'Oh hi, yeah. Morning,' Emily said non-chalantly. 'I just felt like a bit of a walk this morning. Bit of time to myself you know?'

Effy momentarily occupied herself with lighting a cigarette, before looking back up at Emily. 'She won't be there until this evening.'

Emily sighed. Lying to Effy was always such a futile endeavour, no matter how carefully constructed the story was. 'I know. But I'm going to have to get used to not going to Gina's for a few days. While she's there.'

Effy blew smoke in her face, possibly intentionally. 'Why?'

'Why do you think?'

Effy took some more drags of her cigarette. 'She asked after you,' she said finally.

Emily shrugged it off like she didn't care. 'That was considerate of her.'

Effy chucked the spent fag onto the ground. It rolled towards a drain. 'Come on, it's shit here. Let's go to Gina's.' She stood up.

Emily gestured to her untouched coffee. 'I'm going to stay here.'

Rather than acknowledging the statement, Effy tugged on Emily's arm until she too was stood up.

'Emily, I'm only going to mention this once,' she said, pulling the reluctant girl away from the cafe, 'but you're acting like Naomi.'

Emily could smell Gina's food from halfway down the street. Her stomach gurgled its approval. Effy hadn't let go of her arm, like she was scared she would run away, practically pushing her through the door when they got to Gina's house.

'Emily love!' Gina called from the kitchen, without even checking who it was, 'How many eggs?'

'Two please Gina,' Emily called back, hanging her coat upon the hook in the hall.

The kitchen was bustling when Emily walked in. JJ hung around near the stove insisting on trying to help even though Gina just sporadically batted him away with the tea towel and told him to sit down.

'Where have you been mong-face?' Katie asked.

'I found her staring into space outside Ricardo's,' Effy said, sitting down next to Katie, stealing a mushroom from her plate.

'Is this about Naomi?' Katie asked, 'Oi! Get your own,' admonished, pulling her plate away from Effy.

'Oh for god's sake! Can I not get a cup of coffee by myself without it being about Naomi?' Emily demanded at high volume.

'Alright, Jesus. Calm down,' Katie said. 'Anyone would think you have a problem with Naomi.'

'A lot of people do,' said a voice.

The whole congregation whipped round to see Naomi stood in the doorway, arms folded.

The sizzling of eggs in the pan was the only sound in the room for a few long seconds.

'Naomi love!' Gina broke the silence, wiping her hands on her apron and rushing towards her daughter. She pulled the girl into a fierce hug, before planting two huge kisses on each of her cheeks. 'I thought you weren't back until this evening!'

'Well it is the evening in Thailand,' Naomi said, dragging her gaze around the room before fixing it securely on Emily. 'What is this? A school reunion?'

JJ laughed awkwardly.

'Well at least it explains why Kieran's stood out in the street smoking like a bastard,' Naomi muttered.

Emily diverted her gaze to the table. She felt like she was wilting beneath Naomi's stare.

'How many eggs love?' Gina asked.

'Two please,' Naomi answered, sitting down directly opposite Emily.

When Emily looked back up Naomi was sweeping her hair back from her face. It was white blonde, ruffled from the journey, shorter than it had been when she left. Her skin was more tanned, glowing with the accumulated light of a thousand sun-soaked countries.

'So,' Naomi said, adjusting the collection of bracelets and bands around her wrists, 'what the fuck are you all doing here then?'

'We live here,' Effy answered.

Emily saw the confusion settle around Naomi's features.

'We don't _live_ here,' she corrected quietly. 'We just ... spend a lot of time here.'

'It has become the place of hang-out. Where the hanging out takes place,' JJ explained.

'You hang out with my Mum?' she asked, her eyes only leaving Emily to shoot Effy a disbelieving look.

Gina interrupted to place two breakfast plates in front of Emily and Naomi. The egg yolks quivered as the plates landed. 'Oh they're only here for the hospitality,' Gina said, 'Eat up Emily dear, you look faint.'

Emily felt how she looked.

'So, Naomi,' JJ sat down next to Emily and smiled nervously at the irritated looking blonde. 'How long will you gracing Bristol with your presence?'

Naomi frowned like she hadn't been expecting the question. 'Um ... not sure. Haven't really thought about it. Do I still have a room here Mum? Or have you rented that out to randoms as well?'

'We don't rent anything,' JJ corrected, ' There's no exchange of money for any services we receive here. And we're not actually that random. In fact, of all the people that could be here we're some of the most likely. Emily especially – ow!' JJ's rambling was stopped by a swift elbow to the stomach from Katie.

'How was the journey love?' Gina asked from her station at cooker, seemingly oblivious to the social awkwardness occurring at her table.

'It was shit. There was a baby fucking screaming next to me the whole time.'

'Probably took one look at you and wanted to get off the plane,' Effy mused, absently twirling Katie's hair between her fingers.

Katie sniggered.

Naomi shot Effy a death stare.

'What?' Effy asked innocently, 'It looks like you want to kill someone. I'd fucking scream if was sat next to you for a long haul flight.'

Naomi rolled her eyes and let herself smile briefly.

Emily's breath caught in her throat. Naomi's whole face lit up when she smiled, when her frosty mask slipped from her features and she just let the world in rather than constantly arguing with it.

'I just don't travel well,' Naomi answered, the smile still evident in her eyes.

'Why do you do it then?' Emily asked coldly.

Naomi's smile was wiped instantly. 'Em ...'

'Anyone for seconds?' Gina asked, appearing at the table with a frying pan.

'Hang on Gina,' Effy held her hand up to silence the elder Campbell, 'we're just about to enter an intense passive-aggressive cycle, brace for impact.'

Naomi and Emily simultaneously rolled their eyes and folded their arms.

They stared at each other for a few seconds before Naomi got up. 'I'm going to find Kieran, think he had the right idea about how to deal with this situation,' she announced before swiftly exiting the kitchen.

Emily turned her glare upon Effy. 'You _knew_ she was coming back this morning didn't you?'

Effy didn't answer, but smiled slightly as she fixed her attention upon platting Katie's long red hair.

Gina moved from the table to peer out of the window into the street. 'I don't know why she just doesn't admit it,' she said.

'It's so obvious,' Effy agreed, apparently knowing what Gina was on about.

Katie and Emily glanced at each other. 'Are you going to tell us what you're talking about? Or are just going to talk in weird telepathic hippy code all day?' Katie asked turning to Effy, who merely smiled sweetly and indicated that she should turn back around.

'Oh sorry love,' Gina answered. 'It's just Naomi. She'll never admit to being wrong.'

'Wrong about what?' Emily asked.

'About ... Oh Emily!' Gina exclaimed suddenly, 'you haven't touched your breakfast!'

Emily looked down at the food rapidly congealing upon her plate. 'Sorry Gina, lost my appetite.'

She pushed the unappetizing looking food away from her and stood up, walking to the window where Gina had positioned herself. She saw Naomi and Kieran smoking on the pavement. They were laughing. Naomi kept pushing her hair back from her face like it was in her eyes. She was thinner than Emily remembered. Naomi caught sight of the faces in the window. She raised a tentative hand as a wave.

Emily took a deep breath and turned from the window.

'Think I'm going to take off,' Emily announced.

'Wait Ems,' Katie said, held still by Effy's hands in her hair, 'I'll come with you.'

'No it's alright,' Emily said, 'I want to be by myself for a bit.'

'Don't be a twat I'll come with you –hey!' Katie whipped round to Effy who had pulled at the strand she was platting.

'Sorry,' she said, not looking sorry. 'Accident.'

Emily hugged Gina goodbye and left, pulling the door closed gently behind her. She tried to leave as quietly and inconspicuously as possible so Naomi wouldn't notice, but she failed.

'Emily!' Naomi called, as she walked over to her.

Emily sighed, stopping in her tracks. She turned to see Naomi looking at her expectantly. 'Yeah?'

'Um ... there's some stuff,' Naomi looked at her hands as she talked, '... some stuff I'd like to talk to you about. If you have time?' She looked up.

'I'm really busy actually,' Emily answered, 'I've got work.'

Naomi looked confused. 'It's Saturday.'

'Yeah ... but I've got work to do.'

Naomi frowned like she was thinking hard about something. 'What do you do?' she asked eventually.

Emily felt momentarily stunned that they had been separated so long that Naomi didn't even know what she did for a living.

'I'm an interior designer,' she answered.

Naomi looked impressed. 'That's cool. You always did have good taste.'

Emily looked at her quizzically.

'I ... er ... I didn't mean _me_,' she quickly pointed out.

Emily snorted softly. 'Obviously.'

'Emily,' Naomi said seriously, like she was about to say something important. She paused. Emily could see the thoughts flashing past her eyes. She could see her change her mind. 'Um ... it's good to see you.'

'Yeah,' Emily answered, 'I'm ... um ... glad you're back safely.'

It wasn't what Naomi wanted to hear, Emily could tell by the way her face fell.

'See you Naomi,' she said as she turned and walked away.

**(Thank you for reading my second chapter. Hope you liked :D)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you thank you thank you for your comments! **

**ps, to those who are unsure, everything in season 4 happened in this story. This is set a few years later. I didn't want to change any of the history. And what happened to Naomily after 408 will be revealed soon.**

**(IndigoSkyFlying - sorry for the choppiness. I guess it's my style or something? I've tried to improve it in this chapter :D)**

Sunset honey, morning peach, sunset honey, morning peach ... sunset-

Emily flicked indecisively through the 'warm ambers' section of the paint catalogue. But she wasn't really committing any attention to the glossy pages. She hadn't been thinking about it all morning. Superficially, it looked like she was elbow deep in interior decorating paraphernalia and wasn't to be disturbed, but beneath the surface every thought that flashed across her mind was of Naomi.

Effy had mentioned her now and then in the two years she'd been gone. Sometimes she'd overhear her and Gina talking about her in the kitchen, but they'd stop when she walked in. At first Emily had been grateful for their consideration, but now she was tired of the secrecy. She wanted Gina to be able to talk about her daughter without having to tiptoe around Emily's adolescent feelings, and she was growing increasingly frustrated with the peculiar smirk Effy had developed whenever Naomi's name was mentioned, like she knew of the last piece to a hugely elaborate but glaringly obvious puzzle, and she was just waiting for Emily to finally figure it out.

She'd been in central Europe mostly, but her favourite was Southern Italy and Croatia. Effy had never mentioned why they had been her favourite, but when Emily pictured them she thought of warm reds and yellows, crisp whites and deep oranges, contrasted spectacularly by rich greens and sparkling blues. She could see Naomi walking amongst all the colours, blending in perfectly with her tanned skin and brilliant bleach hair, her shining eyes mirrors to the sky. When she looked back down at the sunset honey and the morning peach of her catalogue, they looked depressingly plain.

'Hello Emily love,' Gina's greeting shook Emily out of her daydream. She stood up and let herself be embraced by the older woman, closing her eyes briefly amongst the soft materials and soothing scents of the maternal gesture. 'Thanks for coming over. I'm sure you had better things to do with your Sunday.'

Emily drew back from the hug, 'Other than eating your Sunday roast and not being able to get up from the chair for about three hours, not really,' she answered truthfully.

Gina smiled at her affectionately before looking down at the paint catalogue. 'Have we decided on any of these yet?' she asked, picking up the open magazine and inspecting the page. 'Oh dear ... they all look a bit plain don't they?'

Emily sighed and nodded in agreement. 'Yeah, it's hard to tell really from this though. They might look fantastic on the wall, you never know until you test them out.'

Gina looked unconvinced. 'Maybe. We'll ask Naomi.'

Emily felt her faculties freeze up momentarily. She wasn't used to Naomi being in such close proximity.

'You never know,' Gina continued, bustling over to the stove and beginning to make tea, 'she might even help paint.'

Emily scoffed in amusement. 'If you get her anywhere near a pair of overalls and a paint roller I'll personally pay for the entire fit-out myself.'

Gina chuckled as china cups chinked together over by the stove.

'Where is Naomi anyway?' Emily asked, fingering the corner of her magazine as if it was far more interesting than Gina's answer.

'She's been to see Cook today. I'd imagine she'd be back soon.'

Emily hadn't seen Cook since he'd been locked away. She wondered if Effy had. She could never tell though, even when she flat-out asked Effy if that's where she'd been all she got was a cryptic answer and a disarming smile. She reckoned Katie knew. Katie knew a whole hell of a lot more about Effy than she let on.

'Here you go love,' Gina said, setting a cup down in front of her. 'So how is our budget looking?'

Emily raised an eyebrow at her. Budget sounded like an alien word coming from Gina's mouth. In fact, the only reason Gina would ever bring up the subject was if she had done something that Emily had expressly advised against or hadn't budgeted for. She sighed. 'What did you buy Gina?'

Gina bit her lip guiltily before standing up and opening a huge cardboard box in the corner of the room that Emily hadn't noticed.

Emily followed her. She peered inside the box.

'Oh Gina!' Emily exclaimed when she saw what was inside. 'I told you these were a massive rip off!'

Gina shrugged, beaming at the mere sight of her purchase. 'I just love them though. It's the exact kind of thing I wanted.'

Emily rolled her eyes and shoved Gina's arm affectionately.

'What's in the bizarrely oversized box Mum?' Naomi's voice asked from the doorway.

Emily turned to see her drop her bag next to the stairs and walk into the room. She looked tired.

'Oh, just some bits and bobs,' Gina answered.

Naomi walked over and looked into the box. She was stood so close that Emily could smell her.

Naomi let out a disapproving sound. 'Mum I could have got you some of these from Morocco. They're dirt cheap out there. _And_ they're much more decorated. Everything in Morocco is really ...'

Emily's stare drew her talking to a halt.

'Nevermind,' she said.

Emily noticed Gina looking from her to Naomi and back again.

There was an awkward pause.

'Right, well,' Gina said, clapping her hands together silently. 'I'll just nip over to the shop and pick up these paint samples. Naomi?' she addressed her daughter. 'Will you give Emily a hand moving these pots into the spare room?'

Naomi pulled a face that expressed quite clearly that she did mind. Very much.

'Oh Naomi love, stop pulling that face will you? It makes your mouth look like a bottom,' Gina told her.

'Mum!' Naomi protested in immediate embarrassment. She self-consciously pressed a hand to her lips.

Emily began to smile at the action, before she caught Naomi's eye and stopped.

'Do we actually have a spare room still? Or have you picked up some waifs and strays to live there?' Naomi asked sulkily.

Gina frowned in confusion. 'Did I say spare room? I meant your room.'

'What?'

'Sorry love, just for a few days!' Gina called as she made her way to front door.

'Fuck's sake,' Emily heard Naomi mutter.

The pots Gina had purchased and intended on housing in Naomi's room were actually enormous terracotta urns, their vast size equalled only in their immense weight.

Naomi looked over at Emily, her arms folded. 'So what does my mother intend on doing with these exactly? Except cremating all of Bristol?' she asked.

'They're features,' Emily answered. 'They're not going to have anything in them.'

Naomi looked inside the nearest one. 'But they're so roomy. Seriously Em, you could like _live_ in one of these.'

Emily folded her arms. 'I'm not _that_ small.'

Naomi sized her up with her eyes. Emily felt her stomach do an involuntary flip at the way Naomi dragged her gaze up her body.

'I bet you a tenner you could fit inside this one,' Naomi stated.

'And I bet you a tenner that I'm not even going to try,' Emily answered.

'Well that's no fun.'

'Neither is getting stuck inside a massive pot.'

'Not for you maybe,' Naomi answered, her bad mood replaced briefly with a sparkling with humour.

But that was the problem wasn't it? As long as Naomi was having fun it didn't matter that other people got hurt, just like it didn't matter when Naomi left her behind on these shores for bigger, brighter places. It was what _Naomi_ had wanted to do, and Emily was left by the wayside.

There was a prolonged pause between them.

'Right are we moving this catastrophic piece of pottery then?' Naomi asked, tapping the box with her foot.

Emily welcomed the broken silence. 'Yeah, you grab the top, I'll lift it from the bottom.'

'Er ... shouldn't we get someone to help?' Naomi asked, gauging the weight of the pot with a cautious stare. 'You know ... someone with biceps ... and that isn't me?'

Emily rolled her eyes. 'Don't be such a girl Naomi. It's hollow. We'll be fine.'

Emily immediately regretted that statement as she crouched down to slip her fingers underneath the base and lift the box above the ground. Her back groaned in protest and her knees threatened to give way beneath her.

'Fuck me!' she heard Naomi say as they staggered unsteadily towards the staircase. 'Fucking ... bastard ... turd-pot!' she exclaimed.

'Naomi!' called Kieran from the top of the stairs. 'You're only back a day and a half and already the house if full of foul language!' He paused for dramatic effect '... it's fucking brilliant!'

'You could help us carry this twatting thing you know Kieran,' Naomi challenged from the base of the hallway.

'Oo no,' he answered, raising his hands, 'I leave the manual labour to the women.'

'Tosser,' Naomi muttered as they began to negotiate the stairs.

Emily smiled. Sometimes she couldn't help but love how effortlessly volatile Naomi was.

'You alright there Ems?' Naomi called from the other side of the box as she began to climb the stairs backwards, leaving Emily to push the box forwards and upwards after her.

'Yeah,' she answered breathlessly. It felt strange to be carrying out such domestic tasks with Naomi, when a few years ago she had imagined them picking out furniture and paint colours for their own home. The home that they would share together.

Emily could feel her face getting red with exertion. After several near-drops and multiple missed-steps, they finally fumbled their way in Naomi's room. With the box dumped on the floor Emily drew in a deep breath and stretched out her aching back muscles. When she stood back up straight she caught Naomi looking at her.

Her hair was stuck to her forehead with sweat and her chest was moving up and down as she drew in exhausted breaths.

A few years ago that would have been more than enough reason for Emily to jump her right then and there.

She quickly looked down at the floor. Naomi's room looked exactly the same. And it smelled exactly the same. If she didn't know any better, she could've sworn she was sixteen again.

'Thanks for your help,' Naomi said. 'You're quite strong for a little-un.'

'Shut up. Do I need to remind you how many arm wrestles you've lost to me?' Emily asked.

'... no. And I wasn't using my _good_ arm,' Naomi argued.

Emily shook her head with a smile. 'Whatever Campbell, I could pin you down.'

The implications of those words took a while to settle around them.

Naomi cleared her throat in the silence.

Emily felt very awkward. Laughing and joking with each other only served as a reminder of what they'd once shared. How could they begin to build a friendship again after everything they'd been to each other? Emily didn't even know if they ever could.

'So,' Naomi said after a while of quiet reflection, trying to prompt a conversation, but the words failing to follow.

Emily twitched her mouth from side to side. 'So,' she agreed.

**like/dislike? thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**You guys! Thanks so much for the reviews! They keep me smiling every morning. And most of the day too. Sorry this chapter has taken a bit longer to get out. And I hope you're all still interested :D**

They stood like that for a few minutes, arms folded, at least three metres apart, looking at the floor. The enormous barrier separating them seemed physically manifested in the giant box that was placed strategically between them. Emily spoke first.

'What made you come back?' she asked simply.

Naomi looked at her like it was an intrusive question, shrugging it off with an exasperated sigh. 'I can come home when I want,' she snapped, 'I do _live_ here you know.'

'You haven't _lived_ here for three years,' Emily corrected, not about to put up with any of Naomi's attitude.

'And somehow in that time the entire school has moved in,' Naomi muttered.

Emily rolled her eyes. 'We haven't moved in.'

'Looked pretty cosy yesterday morning,' Naomi countered.

'Yeah. It was cosy. Gina makes us feel at home.'

'Well at least she's making one of us feel at home,' Naomi mumbled. 'Whilst my room's turned into the stock room for the world's most eclectic car-boot sale of crap.' She glared at the urns.

'What did you expect Naomi?' Emily asked, unfolding her arms and shrugging her shoulders. 'You just left.'

Naomi frowned like she wanted to argue back, but was restraining herself.

Emily sighed, feeling bad for getting into this argument so soon.

The door sounded from downstairs. Emily was grateful for the distraction as Naomi looked like she was preparing to say something to defend herself. She silently excused herself from the room and stepped out onto the landing. She saw Effy standing in the hallway, smiling up at her in a knowing fashion.

'Only me,' she said. 'Don't let me stop you and Naomi ...' she cleared her throat, 'you know.' She winked.

Emily felt herself go bright red. 'We weren't doing anything. We were just talking,' she garbled quickly.

Effy's smirk grew wider.

'Shut up,' Emily said.

Effy ignored her. 'Naomi!' she called up.

Naomi emerged from her room. 'What?'

'Coming out tonight to feel momentarily better about life until the morning when you'll feel considerably worse?' Effy asked.

Naomi shot Emily a look before answering, 'You bet.'

Effy turned her attention back to Emily. 'Where's Gina?'

'Gone to get paint,' Emily replied.

Effy seemed to chose to do nothing with this information as she looked immediately back at Naomi. 'Have you told her yet?' she asked.

'What?' Naomi asked.

'Why you're back,' Effy clarified. 'Have you told her why you're back,' she pieced the questions together as if Naomi couldn't manage it herself.

Naomi looked genuinely confused. 'I'm back because I wanted to come home for a bit,' she answered.

Effy rolled her eyes. 'We'll talk about this later,' she promised before floating into the kitchen.

'What was that about?' Emily asked Naomi.

'Fucked if I know,' she answered.

'Effy seems to think you know,' Emily said.

Naomi shook her head. 'Well I don't. She's probably been smoking something bizarre.' She paused. 'Something my mother probably gave her,' she added as an afterthought.

Practically on cue, Gina bustled in through the door with shopping bags.

Emily cast a final glare towards Naomi before descending the stairs to help Gina out.

'Oh thanks Emily love,' Gina said as Emily relieved her of two of the heavy bags of paint cans. 'I got everything on the list. Shall we try them out now?'

'Um ... I didn't bring any painting clothes,' Emily explained.

'Oh just borrow something of Naomi's,' Gina said, with a blasé hand gesture. 'All the stuff she's left here is old now anyway.'

Emily glanced back up at Naomi who was looking unimpressed at the top of the stairs.

'No really ... Gina it's fine I'll just be careful ...'

'No I insist ... Naomi!' Gina called.

But Naomi was gone, and the door to her room slammed shut.

Emily and Gina exchanged a look.

'Well never mind. We can always do it another day,' Gina reasoned, placing a reassuring hand on Emily's shoulder. 'Have you two had an argument?'

'No,' Emily answered. 'Well ... maybe.' She paused for thought. 'Yeah, I guess so. I don't know. Every time she speaks it's like she's arguing.'

Gina chuckled.

'I mean, why does she think she's always right?' Emily continued. 'Even when she's so blatantly wrong.'

'Are you talking about Naomi?' Effy enquired, emerging in the hall suddenly, making Gina jump. 'She knows she's wrong. It's why she's back.'

Emily rolled her eyes. 'Will you _stop _being so cryptic? Why is she back?'

Effy shrugged. 'I thought you didn't care,' she answered.

'I … don't,' Emily stammered. 'I don't care.'

A pile of crumpled t-shirts landed at Emily's feet.

Emily looked up to see Naomi leaning over the banister.

'Use whatever you want. I was going to throw them out anyway,' Naomi said, before turning and walking back into her room.

Amongst the creased and faded material, Emily noticed a white shirt with a black and white photo of a pig on the front.

It made something inside her hurt. Something she had long forgotten existed.

With a swift phone call from Effy, Katie turned up, her hair pulled back by a soft hairband, red curls swept back and falling about her shoulders, dressed in clothes that Katie assumed were scruffy, but that Emily would have been happy to wear out of an evening.

'Decorating yeah?' she asked, picking up a brush excitedly. 'I'm so good at painting. Me and Ems were allowed to paint our own half of our bedroom once. I was done like ten times faster than she was.'

'Dad had to re-do yours because you made such an arse-flange job of it,' Emily reminded her.

'Whatever. It's all about schedule Em.'

'What colour did you paint it?' Effy asked as she lounged on a cloth-covered sofa.

'Uh … pink?' Katie answered like it was obvious.

Effy smiled. 'Of course. What about you?' she asked Emily without her eyes leaving Katie.

'… black,' Emily mumbled.

Effy laughed.

'Strange gothic child,' Katie said, with a sad shake of her head. 'Come to think of it … how did you ever become an interior designer?'

'Shut up,' Emily told her, 'I was making a statement.'

'Oh right, what statement was that?' Katie asked.

Emily's eyes traced Naomi's movement as she entered the room and stood next to Effy's sofa. 'That I morally objected to the room being pink.'

'Right then children,' Gina gathered their attention. 'First colour: Salmon freedom.'

'Jesus .. Em, did _you_ name these colours?' Naomi asked.

'Fuck off,' Emily replied, a hint of a smile hanging around her lips.

Emily saw Naomi's gaze drop to the t-shirt she had chosen to wear. Emily clutched nervously at the hem of the pig t-shirt. Naomi opened her mouth as if to say something, but shut it again and pursed her lips.

Everyone turned their attention to Gina, who made the first, tentative, virgin stroke of salmon paint on the white wall. She began adding to it, until a sketchy block of colour adorned the wall. Gina took a step backwards.

Everyone tilted their head to the right.

'Eurgh,' was Katie's observation.

'Good point,' Gina agreed, cracking open the next tin.

The routine continued for about half an hour, until Gina finally rounded on the last tin of paint. 'Right, it's back to the drawing board if this isn't a resounding yes,' she informed the room.

Naomi hadn't passed a single judgment since the exercise had begun. Emily had glanced at her quizzically several times, only to find her staring vacantly out of the window, as if imagining she was anywhere else but there.

'Right, what do we think?' Gina asked, stepping back from her latest creation.

'I like it,' Naomi answered instantly.

Emily whipped round to stare at her.

'What?' she asked. 'I do. It's … nice.'

Gina raised her eyebrows. 'Anyone else?'

Katie nodded. 'Yeah … it's fine.'

Effy agreed with Katie.

'Okay then. 'Sahara horizon' it is,' Gina said, smudging her face with the colour as she pushed her hair back from her forehead. 'Get painting everyone.'

'Hey hey hey,' Naomi objected, 'No one informed me that was part of the agreement.'

'Oi you – less talky, more painty,' Gina told her.

Naomi rolled her eyes as a brush was thrust into her hand.

Emily shot her a cheeky grin as she picked up a brush of her own.

Naomi's face changed from pissed off to concerned. 'Emily … wait a sec.'

Emily paused mid-stoop towards the paint can.

'Come with me,' Naomi requested, leaving the room.

Emily followed instantly, leaving Katie to struggle for the paint roller that Effy was holding up in the air out of her reach. She followed Naomi up the stairs to her room, trying very hard to look at her feet rather than at the swaying backside that she was eye-level with.

Naomi closed the door once Emily was in the room.

'Take the top off Em,' Naomi requested softly.

Emily felt a warmth rush through her skin and a twinge in the pit of her stomach. 'Wh … what?' she asked.

'Put this on instead,' Naomi explained, pointing to a checked shirt laid out on the bed. 'I don't know how this ended up in the pile,' Naomi added, taking a step towards Emily and plucking at the base of the t-shirt. 'I don't want you getting paint all over it.'

Emily smiled slightly, 'I'm a good painter actually. Minimal splash-back.'

Naomi looked at her skeptically. 'I still don't want to risk it.'

Emily rolled her eyes. 'Okay.'

Naomi waited.

Emily raised her eyebrows. 'Well turn around then,' she ordered.

'Oh … right,' Naomi realized, turning a little red.

Emily turned to face the other way as well, pulling the shirt up over her head and dropping it to the floor. She felt hands on her the top of her bare arms the second the material had left her skin.

Warm hands. Naomi's hands. She felt her heart rate increase.

Softly, the hands helped her into the shirt, guiding her hands through the cuffs and pulling the sleeves slowly up along her arms, draping the material over her shoulders and reaching around her waist to make the buttons meet in the middle. Emily leant back into the warm body behind her as the hands gently fastened the buttons around her chest.

'That's better,' Naomi said softly as she straightened the collar.

Emily turned in Naomi's arms to face her.

Her blue eyes shone back at her.

'Emily you massive twat! Get back down here and help!' Katie's voice rang up from downstairs, making both girls jump.

Emily smiled nervously at Naomi. 'Thanks for the shirt,' she said quietly, before reaching for the door.

'No problem,' Naomi said as she left.

**(yay/nay? thanks as always)**


	5. Chapter 5

**You guys are the best readers ever. I love all your comments! I got a request to write a longer chapter from flister ... so I wrote a very slightly longer one lol. Hope that's good enough? And also, thanks for checking out my other story. Of course I'll finish this one first. I just wanted to see what you guys thought of the idea.**

Emily wasn't under the impression that she had spent a long time in Naomi's room, but somehow in that short space of time the painting room had turned into a war zone. Gina was stood in a puddle of Sahara horizon, occasionally stepping out of it to tread painty footprints across the floorboards. Effy sat on the arm of the sofa with a brush in one hand and a fag in the other, paint flicked across her cheek, watching in amusement as Katie struggled to push the paint roller against the wall high above her head, before peeling herself back from the wet paint of the wall and realising she was covered in it.

'Don't laugh you bitch!' she shouted at Effy, who proceeded to laugh more. 'Fuck's sake! Look at this!' she smeared her hand through the paint that covered her front. 'It looks like a Lady Gaga reject!'

'Emily,' Effy flicked her gaze to her, 'I think we need supervision.'

'Shocking,' said Emily as she surveyed the destruction.

Naomi had followed her down the stairs pretty much immediately. 'Holy vast amounts of incompetence batman,' she observed as she swung round into the room.

Gina turned round from her task to see what all the fuss was about. Emily watched her face change as she took in the sheer amount of paint that was splattered and pressed into the floor and furniture in a variety of interesting and inventive ways. She inspected the bottoms of her shoes. 'Oh dear ...'

Katie and Effy exchanged a glance. 'Don't worry Gina, it'll be fine. We'll clear it up. It'll look good as new.'

'Yep, the crack team are on it,' Effy reassured her.

'You mean the team are on crack,' Naomi interjected, 'at least that's what it looks like.'

'Shut up _Naoms_,' Katie answered back, 'I don't see you offering to help.'

Naomi looked quite shocked by the hostility of the response, but she covered it up quickly, as always. 'Yeah well I didn't make the mess did I _Katiekins_?'

'Oh come on!' Emily silenced the argument. 'What are we? _Twelve_? Naomi – you're not robin to my batman; Gina – take those shoes off, for the love of god; Katie – don't move or touch anything until you've dried off; Effy – put that fucking fag out, the paint will absorb all the shit from the smoke.'

Effy frowned. 'But the paint fumes give me a headache.'

Emily rolled her eyes. She could see where this was going. 'Okay, okay. Just ... leave it to me.'

The party exchanged a few confused glances.

'Emily love,' Gina said with concern, 'Are you sure?'

'Yeah,' she sighed, 'it'll be done quicker if I just do it myself.'

Gina pulled the perplexed expression of a puppy that had just been told off for peeing on the floor. 'Okay ... I'll go make some tea,' she said, slipping out of her shoes before padding towards the kitchen.

'Em, what the fuck?' Katie asked, the roller she was holding dripping thick blobs of paint onto her shoes, 'No way can you do this all by yourself.'

'Can too,' Emily argued, crossing her arms.

'Let her do it if she wants to,' Effy, curling a hand around the top of Katie's arm.

'Fine,' Katie said, dropping the roller into the tray. 'But just remember who finished their half of the room in time for Neighbours.'

'I don't even like Neighbours,' Emily pointed out.

'What the fuck? Everyone likes Neighbours. _And_ it was a really good episode,' Katie answered back. 'But whatever, paint it on your own. See if I care.'

Emily rolled her eyes. Katie was such a brat sometimes. She didn't know how Effy had so much patience with her. But then again she also couldn't figure out how Katie had so much patience with Effy. She watched as Effy ran a finger through the paint on Katie's clothes and dabbed it onto the end of her nose. Katie giggled and batted her away girlishly.

'Just try not to paint the entire room black, okay Em?' Effy said with a sweet smile as she towed Katie out of the room.

Emily could sense Naomi still standing behind her.

'Do you ... er ... want some help?' she asked, when Emily turned round to face her.

'Depends,' Emily said, 'Do you have more aptitude for painting than a team of actual baboons?'

'Well it's never been proved,' Naomi answered, 'but we can test the theory.'

Emily smiled and handed Naomi Katie's discarded roller. 'Start by painting over everything they did,' she said.

Naomi took the handle of the roller from Emily, their fingers brushing together lightly as the object exchanged possession. Still buzzing from the charge she had got from Naomi dressing her upstairs a few minutes ago, the soft grazing of Naomi's skin against hers was enough for Emily to immediately snatch her hand back from the contact.

If Naomi noticed the reaction, she didn't make it apparent. She merely walked over to the paint can and dipped the roller in, bringing it out dripping with thick colour and applying it directly to the wall.

Emily watched and drew in a shaky breath. 'Naomi?' she said. 'You're ... um ... you're doing it wrong.'

Naomi froze in her actions. 'Am I doing it like a baboon?' she asked.

'... sort of,' Emily admitted.

She walked over to Naomi, picking up the roller tray and placing it on the cloth-covered table. She took the roller off Naomi, trying to ignore the tingling as their skin brushed again.

'You do it like this,' she said, demonstrating by pushing the roller through the paint in the tray repeatedly until it was coated, then scraping off the excess using the rim of the tray.

'Ah so it's a scientific approach you're going for,' Naomi observed.

'Look you don't have to help Naomi,' Emily said suddenly irritated.

Naomi looked surprised. 'No I want to ... sorry,' she added quietly. 'Show me again?' she asked, taking the roller from Emily.

Emily sucked her bottom lip up under her teeth before covering Naomi's hand with her own and guiding it gently to the paint tray. She felt Naomi turn her head to look at her, but she fixed her gaze on their hands as she helped Naomi push the roller gently through the paint.

'Like this,' Emily said quietly as she continued, the skin of the back of Naomi's hand feeling silken and warm beneath her palm.

'... right,' Naomi said distantly, as if she had just lost focus.

Emily felt Naomi's hand shift beneath hers as Naomi dropped the roller into the tray and twisted her palm up and extended her fingers around Emily's hand, closing around it with a steadily increasing grip. Emily's breath grew suddenly shallower, as she slowly dragged her gaze up from their now entwined hands to look round at Naomi. Naomi's hand squeezed harder around hers. Naomi's eyes looked like they were burning. Like they were hurting her. Emily watched as her lips quivered around the words she was trying to say.

She couldn't stand it. She couldn't stand the way her body reacted, wanting nothing more than and press up against Naomi and reconnect with everything it had been torn away from, when her head tried to desperately steer her in the other direction. She squeezed her eyes shut and let go of Naomi's hand.

'I ...' she began, cradling her hand up to her chest as if to defend it from another attack, 'I ... can't. I just ... just go please. I can do this myself.'

Naomi didn't argue. Perhaps for the first time in her life. She just left, and Emily was alone in the room with a lot of painting to do and a lot of mess to clear up. She felt like she could cry. But she didn't. She just picked up the roller and started to paint.

The only person that disturbed her for the rest of the day was Gina bringing her copious amounts of tea and administering hugs as and when required. She had heard movement down through the ceiling above her, but none of the other house guests had ventured back into the room she was painting. She was faintly aware of the front door banging shut and the fact that in coincided with the noise above her stopping. She only realised that it had grown dark outside when Gina came in with a hot cup of her own blend of sleep-aiding herb infused tea.

'Get some rest Emily love,' she advised, placing the mug in her hand and affectionately stroking her cheek with a thumb. 'You look shattered.'

Emily stretched out her arms and rolled her shoulders with a grimace. She ached all over. Her arms felt swollen and heavy and her neck felt twisted repeatedly in the wrong direction. 'I'm just going to finish this bit Gina, then I'll stop.'

Gina sighed, 'Well I don't want you walking home at this hour. You know where the blankets are. You're staying here tonight.'

Emily nodded tiredly and rubbed at her sore eyes.

Gina kissed her forehead and bid her goodnight, closing the door behind her.

Emily began on the final coat on the last patch of wall.

The sound of the door a few minutes later made her jump. The clattering of unsteady heels on the floorboards signalled that Effy and Naomi were back. Emily waited nervously, hoping the stumbling would continue on past the room and upstairs.

Half of it did. The other half clicked ominously towards the closed door of the room Emily was in. Emily held her breath.

The door swung open violently, to reveal Naomi swaying in the doorway.

'Why are you still up?' was the greeting.

'I'm just finishing off here,' Emily told her.

'Just ... fucking ... stop,' Naomi told her, concentrating hard on her words as she tottered into the room. 'Stop doing ... stuff.'

Emily tried to restrain from smiling. Naomi was always so adorable when she was drunk. 'I'm nearly done. I'll be like five minutes tops.'

Naomi frowned, then her face changed like she'd had an idea. 'I'll help you,' she announced. 'I know how.'

She picked up the discarded roller, nearly falling face first as she stooped to collect it from the floor. 'Whoah ...' she said as she steadied herself.

'No really ... Naomi it's fine ...'

'No look!' Naomi said, displaying proudly everything she'd learnt from Emily earlier that day. 'See? I'm doing it _gooood_.'

Emily shook her head with a smile.

'Ems ... Ems ... Ems? ... Emily! ... Ems!' Naomi called repeatedly when she didn't get a response. 'Are you watching?'

'Yes I'm watching. Very good.'

Naomi hadn't made it is far as applying the paint to the wall. She was too busy rotating the roller through the paint very carefully to concern herself with the second half of the process. And whilst she was engrossed in that task, Emily had time to finish off the last bit of painting she had to do.

'Okay,' she said, setting the brushes in a pot of water. 'We're all done here Naomi. Thanks for your help.'

Naomi looked up from her work in confusion. 'Oh.'

Emily walked over to her and removed the painting equipment from her hands. Naomi watched with a frown as the items were taken away from her. 'Effy's a bitch,' she told her earnestly.

Emily let out an involuntary laugh. 'What makes you say that?'

'She keeps saying all this ... _stuff_ about me,' Naomi explained, making a dramatic gesture with her hand before staring intently at the paint all over it, as if wondering where it came from.

'What kind of stuff?' Emily asked.

Naomi frowned in thought. 'Like ... she has all these _theories_ about why I'm back. Why I ... came back.'

Emily raised her eyebrows. 'Yeah? Like what?'

Naomi chewed on her bottom lip. 'Never mind.'

'What?' Emily asked. 'What do you mean never mind?'

'I don't wanna talk about it,' Naomi answered, leaving Emily's side and making her way over to the sofa which she promptly collapsed upon.

Emily watched her, wondering if she was going to continue speaking.

'I mean ... she's all like 'Naomi just tell her', 'Naomi stop being such a cunt', 'Naomi you should've told her when you came back that time.'' She ran a paint-covered hand through her hair.

Emily frowned. 'When you came back what time?' she asked.

Naomi waved her hand like it was insignificant, 'That time when I came back about a year ago to tell you I was stupid for leaving ... and to tell you I still love you. But Effy said you were seeing someone else. You know? That time.'

Emily's mouth dropped open. 'What?'

Realisation of what she'd just said dawned on Naomi's face. 'I ... um ...' she stammered. 'Just forget it, yeah?'

'Is that why you're back now?' Emily asked, not letting Naomi wriggle out of it.

'I ... um ... I'm going to throw up and then go to bed,' Naomi said, heaving herself up off the sofa. 'Someone really should tell Effy that absinthe does not, and never will, compliment rum.'

'Naomi, wait!' Emily said, grabbing hold of her arm as she tried to get past. 'Just tell me ... do you still love me?'

Naomi's eyes flitted around nervously, avoiding Emily's stare. 'Do ... do you still love me?' she asked.

Emily was thrown off by the question. 'What? ... I asked you first. I mean ... no. No of course not.'

Naomi pursed her lips and shrugged. 'Doesn't matter then does it?' she asked, shrugging away from Emily's grip. 'Night Em.'


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi guys! It feels like a long time since I updated ... has it been? Either way, here's an update! I hope you like it. All of your comments seriously mean so much. They're so encouraging and it just makes me want to write more and give you new chapters everyday! So please let me know what you think of this one!**

**(Also, I keep noticing loads of spelling mistakes in my stuff after I've posted it. Which is really annoying because when I do the final edit before I post they're completely invisible. You win again English Grammar! So, apologies for the probable huge amount that I'll find in this a bit later. Hope it's still readable)**

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Emily was woken from a sequence of unnerving dreams by an irksome itching. She kicked her feet and sleepily rubbed the tops of her arms and chest. She opened her eyes and slowly took in her foggily familiar surroundings. As she blinked her first few blinks of the day, last night's event barged violently and unannounced into her memory and she groaned outwardly, flinging Gina's inexplicably itchy crocheted blanket from her and sitting up on the sofa.

She thought about Naomi, and if she'd remember anything that was said between them.

'Thought I heard you,' Gina said, standing in the doorway with a cup of tea. She placed it in Emily's hands and sat down next to her. She looked around the room with a faint smile lingering about her lips. She inspected every wall individually before looking back at Emily. 'It looks great,' she said. 'How did you have the energy?'

'I'm fairly sure you laced the tea you brought me with something,' Emily said with a smile and took a sip from the fresh cup.

'Oh goodness, I don't think drugging my decorator would be very sensible. Imagine the chaos,' she seemed to be considering it for a moment before she spoke up again. 'Speaking of drug-induced chaos, have you seen my daughter this morning? She looks like a train hit her ... from both directions.'

Emily laughed, 'I saw her last night,' she admitted. 'A little ... er ... worse for wear.'

Gina shook her head. 'That girl, I don't know what she thinks she's doing.'

Emily listened quietly, clasping the warm mug in her hands.

'You'd think she'd have learnt by now, wouldn't you?' Gina asked as Effy appeared fully-clothed in the doorway.

'Learnt what?' Emily asked.

'Oh I don't know ... _anything_,' Gina offered with a shrug before standing up.

Effy looked at the two women with a strange smile before entering the room.

'Have you changed since last night?' Emily asked her.

Effy shrugged, the dark smudges around her eyes intensifying their sparkling blue. 'Maybe. I woke up like this.'

Gina and Emily rolled their eyes in unison.

'Room looks nice Ems,' Effy added. 'Katie's going to be well pissed,' she added with a smile.

'About what? The fact that I managed to complete a task without her expert big-sister advise?' Emily asked grouchily. 'Well unless the room needed to know how put a condom on someone with its teeth I doubt she could've been much help.' She paused for a beat. 'And shouldn't you have a hangover?'

Effy and Gina exchanged a look.

'Bad night Em?' Effy asked.

Emily exhaled heavily. 'Sorry, I just had some ... weird dreams.' She ran a hand through her hair. It smelt like paint.

A slow, syncopated stomping echoed down the stairs in the hallway.

'Weird dreams about what?' Effy asked, casting a glance to the door that Naomi was delicately approaching, looking as white as a ghost, clutching at her head and stomach.

'You're a psychic as well now are you?' Emily asked with a smile.

'I've always been a psychic,' Effy answered, matching Emily's smile.

'Psycho more like,' Naomi piped up, inching carefully into the room before collapsing next to Emily on the sofa. 'What the _fuck_ did you let me drink?' she demanded.

Emily slid ever so slightly away from her on the sofa. Naomi noticed and shot her a narrow-eyed look. 'Don't worry,' she said. 'I'm not going to vomit on you. _You_ however,' she turned her attention to Effy, 'can expect plenty of it.'

'It's not my fault you can't handle your drink Naomi,' Effy said, hopping up onto the window sill and swinging her legs.

'I can handle my drink,' Naomi argued. 'I just didn't expect to be handling everyone else's as well.'

'I'll make you some of my special hangover tea love,' Gina told her, ruffling her hair.

Naomi tried feebly to bat her away before Gina withdrew her hand looking puzzled. 'What on earth have you been rubbing your head on Naomi?' she asked, inspecting her daughter's scalp. 'It's covered in ... paint.'

Naomi glanced at Emily before dropping her gaze. 'Yeah, I came in to see Ems last night before I passed out,' she admitted.

Effy looked at Emily with renewed interest, her head tilted to the side. 'Is that so?' she asked. 'Maybe that's why you had those strange dreams Em,' she suggested.

'What dreams?' Naomi asked.

Emily waved her hands like the whole conversation was unimportant and uninteresting, 'Nothing. It was nothing. Really.'

'Well that's exciting,' Naomi observed, reaching to the floor to gather up the blanket Emily had tossed aside when she woke up. She pulled it up over her, throwing a small portion of it over Emily as well and snuggling up underneath it.

Emily felt herself move imperceptibly closer to Naomi beneath the blanket. Naomi sighed contently and leant against Emily's side.

'Aw ... cute,' Effy said.

'Fuck off,' Naomi warned her, 'I meant it about the vomit.'

'Effy!' Gina called from the kitchen. 'Help me make the tea?'

Effy rolled her eyes and hopped off the window sill. 'She's doing this so I leave you two alone,' she said, jabbing a finger at Naomi and then Emily. 'Use this time wisely.' And with that she floated out of the room.

Naomi brandished a middle finger at the girl's retreating back before tucking her hand back under the blanket.

Emily swallowed nervously, and looked down at Naomi who now had her eyes closed. Her face looked ashen and ill, her lips almost as pale. Emily hated that even in her weak and pallid state, Naomi still looked beautiful.

'So what was your dream about?' Naomi asked suddenly, making Emily jump.

'Nothing, I told you,' Emily replied, which earned her a sharp jab in the side from a long finger. 'Hey!' she shouted out, fumbling around under the blanket to push away the offending hand. Naomi merely grabbed Emily's searching hand and held it firmly in her own.

'Stop lying to me Em,' Naomi said, opening her eyes this time and piercing straight through Emily's lame facade. Emily stopped fidgeting the second Naomi fixed her with her stare, like she'd been frozen. 'I can see right through you.'

'What's that supposed to mean?' Emily asked eventually, as Naomi released her fierce grip around her hand and loosely laced their fingers together.

'I just know when you're lying. It's the _one_ thing you're shit at,' Naomi told her, closing her eyes again.

Emily only had a few moments to wonder what Naomi was subtly referring to before she spoke up again.

'So what was your dream about?' she probed again.

'You,' Emily admitted, subconsciously stroking her thumb along Naomi's hand. 'I dreamt I was waiting at the airport for you to come home. I kept checking the boards for your flight and they kept changing the gate you were landing at. So I was dashing across the whole airport to meet you.'

Emily glanced at Naomi, thankful to find her eyes still closed. It was so much harder to speak with those bright blue eyes shining light into every dark corner she had. 'Every five minutes they'd change it, and I kept bumping into people. I think at one point I shoulder-barged your Mum,' she added, causing a slight smile to hover across Naomi's peaceful features.

'She probably had it coming,' Naomi chimed in.

'So finally I got to the furthest gate there was. It wasn't even in the airport, which is just fucking stupid. I had to go across like, these random fields to get there. And they were really muddy,' Emily frowned, trying her best to remember the details. 'And when I got there, I was waiting with lots of other people. And they were all taller than me so I barely see the people coming off the plane. I was jumping up and standing on my tip-toes and waving like a maniac to make sure you saw me. And I was shouting. So loud I was practically deafening myself.'

Naomi's eyes were open now, looking straight into Emily, her grip on her hand steadily increasing.

'And then I saw you,' Emily said. 'At the top of the steps, looking around. Looking ... lost. So I jumped up and down even more and shouted even louder but this huge crowd of people completely blocked my view. And by the time they had gone so had you. I looked everywhere for you. I even asked other people from the flight if they'd seen you.' Emily twitched the corner of her mouth into a sad smile of acceptance. 'And they told me were never even on the plane.'

When Emily finished her description a prolonged silence rolled through the room.

Eventually, Naomi spoke. 'I did come back for you Em,' she said quietly, struggling into an upright position and fixing Emily with her intense stare.

'No you didn't,' Emily told her. 'Not to me you didn't.'

Naomi reached up to tuck a strand of red hair behind Emily's ear, but Emily twisted her head away. 'Don't Naomi,' she said quietly. 'It's too hard. You're like this ... itching in my brain. I want to get to it so bad but I can't. It's driving me crazy.'

She let go of Naomi's hand and folded her arms, reverting her gaze to staring out of the window and up into the cloudy morning sky.

The weighted silence was broken by the re-emergence of Gina and Effy.

'So ladies,' Effy said, perching back on the window sill directly in Emily's line of vision. 'Have we made any progress?'

The quietness of the room answered Effy's question.

'I'm going to have a shower,' Emily announced, brushing the blanket from her and onto Naomi's lap. She stood up and left the room, shooting Effy a glare on her way past.

Effy shook her head at Naomi once the door had clicked shut.

'What?' Naomi demanded.

'Why are you being so stubborn?' Effy asked.

'_I'm not!_' Naomi argued. 'She is.'

'Drink your tea love,' Gina intercepted, placing the cup in her daughter's empty grip.

Naomi grumpily complied. 'This is all your fault anyway,' she tossed at Effy.

'... you'll have to explain that one to me,' the brunette answered.

'You know I turn into a raving idiot when I drink,' Naomi muttered. 'You should have ... monitored my behaviour or something.'

'You told her didn't you?' Effy asked.

Naomi nodded dumbly.

'Told her what?' Gina asked.

'Told her about that time she came home to profess her undying love for Emily,' Effy said with a dark-humoured smile.

'Oh Naomi love,' Gina said with a shake of the head.

'That wasn't very tactful,' Effy added in agreement.

'Says you?' Naomi asked incredulously, 'Queen of the blunt verbal object?'

Gina waved her hands to distract Naomi from the argument. 'What are you going to do now?' she asked.

Naomi sighed and pressed her hand to her head. 'First I plan on sleeping for approximately two days. Then I guess I'll ... go back.'

'Back?' Gina asked anxiously. 'You mean you'll leave again?'

Naomi shrugged. 'I may as well.'

'Running away doesn't solve your problems Naomi,' Gina warned.

Naomi rolled her eyes. 'Yes it does, actually Mum. It's only when I come home that everything goes tits-up again.' Naomi folded her arms grumpily. 'And this thing is so fucking itchy!' She said irritably before flinging the blanket from her lap to the floor.


	7. Chapter 7

**Update soon you say? Oh alright then ;)**

**I noticed that in my last chapter I actually contradicted one of my own writing constraints. Everything was meant to be from Emily's pov, but at the end of ch. 6 she left the room and the story continued. Oops! Just pretend she was listening from the otherside of the door or something. I hope it didn't spoil the continuity!**

**Hope you like this one and maybe like it enough to review? And point out any of my silly mistakes lol

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'Emily?'

The red head stared inanimately at the board in front of her.

'Emily?' JJ tried again. 'Emily! It's your turn.'

Emily still failed to respond.

JJ sighed a tried a new tactic. 'Emily? Olivia Wilde just streaked past the window. I saw nipples.'

'Huh?' Emily asked, blinking and adjusting her gaze accordingly. 'Oh shut up JJ,' she said looking back at him before mumbling, 'lies hurt you know.'

'Sorry,' JJ said with a smile. 'It was all a naked ruse to get you to take your turn.'

Emily looked down at the board on the table in front of her before huffing dramatically. 'But I can't go!' she whined. 'What did you get?' she asked, eyeing the score table sceptically.

'Eighteen,' JJ said proudly, pointing to where he'd placed his letters.

Emily inspected the word JJ was pointing to and rolled her eyes. 'Excentral isn't a word JJ.'

'It is,' he argued. 'It's a type of triangle.'

'Oh for fuck's sake will you stop using types of triangle when we play scrabble?' Emily scolded. 'They count as names. Names aren't allowed.'

'I'm a rebel. I don't play by your rules.'

'Oo geometry. How rebellious. You're a total bad boy. Let's ride into the sunset on your motorbike and do some quadratic equations.' Emily said sarcastically.

JJ narrowed his eyes. 'You shouldn't take your Naomi-frustration out on maths you know,' he said.

Emily sighed. 'Sorry. It's just ... she's acting like she never left you know?' Emily twiddled her useless letters about on their rack. 'Like ... she doesn't understand why she can't just come home after two years and immediately get back together with me like nothing happened.'

JJ frowned. 'Is that what you think she wants?' he asked.

Emily shrugged. 'I don't think she even knows what she wants. All I know is I can't take her doing that to me again.' She sighed heavily and looked up from her letters. 'We were in love, you know? Like ... totally in love. I don't understand why that wasn't enough to make her stay.'

JJ scratched his head awkwardly. 'Well,' he said nervously, noticeably unsure as to whether it was sensible to make his next point, 'it wasn't enough to make you go with her either.'

Emily's eyes widened in pure shock that JJ could even begin to consider blaming her for Naomi's actions. 'I was at university!' she shouted. 'In the middle of term! What did she expect me to do? Just pack up and fuck off with her?'

JJ immediately backed off, stuttering excuses. 'I didn't mean that you were ... I meant that she was ... I mean ... university is a confusing time for a young woman ... I mean that you ... she ... um ... oh bobbins,' JJ concluded.

'I just can't trust her,' Emily said, ignoring JJ's nonsensical wittering. 'I can't trust her not to take off again. She's like a ... fucking ... nomad or something.' Emily stopped talking and looked closer at her letters. 'Oo! I can spell nomad! Eight please,' she said as she placed the letters on the board.

As JJ dutifully amended the score table and took his turn, Katie walked into the kitchen wearing someone else's pyjamas. A towel was twisted up on top of her head and droplets of water lingered on her face.

Emily twisted her head round to look at Katie. 'Where did you come from?' she asked.

'Er ... the shower?' Katie answered. 'Stayed over in Effy's room didn't I.'

Emily rolled her eyes. Effy's room, as it had affectionately become known, was actually the spare room. It contained a futon, a box full of Naomi's childhood toys, a collapsible Christmas tree, several strange-smelling overcoats, and, more often than not, Effy.

'Scrabble yeah?' Katie asked, sitting down next to her sister. 'Can I play?'

'You can't just join in mid-game,' JJ protested.

'I'll go on Emily's team,' Katie answered.

'That's not fair!' he argued.

'Yes it is,' Emily interjected. 'I've got shit letters. I need family support.'

Katie rested a hand on Emily's shoulder and leant over the board, flicking her gaze between Emily's tiles and the available spaces. 'What do you mean you've got shit letters? You can spell tit.'

'Yeah ... thanks Katie,' Emily said. 'I'd clocked that one.'

'Vulgar misogynistic slang isn't allowed,' JJ pointed out. 'It's against the rules.'

'Shut up JJ,' Katie said bluntly, picking up the letter tiles, 'It's a type of bird. And if you can have 'excentral' we can have tit.'

'It's a type of triangle,' JJ reiterated his earlier point.

Katie rolled her eyes. 'For fuck's sake JJ. If I did know you shagged my sister in college I'd swear you'd never seen a vagina in your life.'

JJ frowned and added three points to Emily's score column. He was leant on his elbows studying his next potential move when his contemplative peace was disturbed by someone shouting.

'Mum!' Naomi's voice rang through the kitchen as she descended the stairs and swung round into the room. 'Have you seen my passport?' She stopped abruptly in her tracks as she took in the site of three people gathered around her kitchen table. 'Why are you always in my house?' she asked feebly.

Emily felt her stomach shrink inside her.

Both Katie and JJ turned their anxious gaze to Emily, as she stared unfalteringly at Naomi, who shied guiltily away from the glare.

'Passport?' she asked Naomi coldly. 'Leaving again are you?'

Naomi looked around the room casually before answering. 'Yeah. Haven't seen it have you?' she asked.

'No,' Emily answered, her voice still flat and severe. 'Not since the last time you used it to run away.'

Naomi fidgeted uncomfortably. 'Well ... if you see it ...' she trailed off.

Emily folded her arms. 'Oh I'll be sure to let you know. So you can escape and remain uncontactable for another two years or so. Or maybe five. Or maybe ten. I mean, who's counting?' The volume of Emily's voice was steadily increasing.

'What do you care?' Naomi answered back, anger rising in her voice. 'The whole time I've been back you've done everything you can to avoid me.'

'The _whole time_ you've been back?' Emily asked incredulously. 'You've been back for five days!'

'Yeah. And you've tried to avoid me all five of them,' Naomi snapped back, ignoring the point.

Katie, who had been silently watching the exchange, finally cleared her throat and spoke. 'I've just remembered. Me and JJ need to help Gina. Far away,' she said, standing up.

JJ looked at her like she was speaking a foreign language. 'We do?'

Katie glared at him. 'Do I have to drag you by the balls or are you going to leave quietly?'

JJ stood up immediately. 'I'll go quietly,' he said quickly, following Katie swiftly out of the room, closing the door delicately behind him.

Alone in the kitchen, Emily turned away from Naomi and studied the scrabble board. She could hear Naomi shuffling through papers in the background, opening drawers, rifling around in the clutter they contained and then slamming them shut. 'Where the _fuck_ is it?' she demanded, checking the cutlery drawer in desperation.

Emily turned back round to see Naomi agitatedly dragging her hand through her hair. 'What are you going to do now Naomi?' she asked. 'Now you can't run?'

Naomi narrowed her eyes at the small red head. 'You've got it,' she said.

'What?'

'You've stolen it! Give it back!'

'I don't have your stupid passport Naomi. What the fuck would I want with it?' Emily answered, dismissing the theory as the ridiculous claim that it was.

'I don't know,' Naomi said. 'You want to stop me from leaving. So you can rub it in my face how much you don't care about me anymore,' she suggested.

'Are you listening to yourself?' Emily asked. 'You sound like an actual crazy person.'

'You think _I'm_ crazy? You're the one going around stealing passports!'

'Don't accuse me of things you've just made up in your entirely fucked up brain Naomi,' she said, standing up abruptly, scattering scrabble tiles from the table to Naomi's feet.

'Don't throw your M's at me!' she snapped. 'And give me back my fucking passport!'

Emily flailed her hands about in disbelief and frustration. 'What makes you think I'd stop you from leaving?' she asked angrily, moving closer to Naomi as she spoke. 'I didn't stop you when we were together. You wanted to go and I let you. I let you go because I fucking loved you more than I can ever explain.'

Naomi seemed momentarily stumped, opening and closing her mouth as comebacks failed to materialise. 'Yeah ... well,' she stuttered, 'maybe that's why I left,' she answered.

Emily crinkled her face in confusion. 'What the fuck?' she asked.

'I had to get away didn't I?' she asked, before softening her tone into something quiet and strange. 'We weren't the same Em. After ... Sophia. And Freddie ...'

Emily physically recoiled at the mention of those names.

'It was tearing you up,' she continued. 'I loved you so much I had to let you go. I thought you'd be better without me,' tears were beginning to shine in Naomi's eyes. 'Happier.'

Emily pressed her fingertips against her forehead and closed her eyes. 'Fuck's sake Naomi,' she muttered.

Naomi stared at Emily as she sighed heavily and opened her sad eyes again.

As if she had sensed the silence, Effy wandered casually in the room, waggling a maroon-coloured, pocket-sized book. 'You look like a right serial killer in this photo Naomi,' she said, handing the passport to her.

Naomi dumbly accepted the book, staring at it for a long while in her palm.

'It's the eyes,' Effy continued. 'Looks like you've been to fucking Alcatraz or something.' She looked from Naomi to Emily. 'Did I interrupt something?' she asked, before smiling. 'Apologies. I'll leave you to it.'

As she left the room she winked at Emily, who just stared blankly back at her.

The silence returned, consuming the room and choking all words from Emily's throat.

'Sorry,' Naomi said, so quietly Emily wasn't even sure she'd heard it.

She didn't answer.

Naomi flicked through the passport to the last page, glancing scathingly at her photo before closing it and slipping it safely into her pocket. 'Are going to say anything?' she asked Emily.

'I don't have anything else to say to you,' she answered.

'Fine,' Naomi said.

'Yeah, it is,' Emily agreed, moving to walk past Naomi towards the door. But as she stepped past the glowering blonde, Naomi suddenly reached out, grabbing Emily around the waist and forcefully pulling her towards her, colliding their bodies and roughly crashing their lips together. Her kisses were desperate; her hands grasping at Emily's clothes, clenching and twisting the material as she feverishly pressed her body up against Emily's.

Emily twisted and pushed back, her hands on Naomi's shoulders, trying to pry herself away from the grip, but Naomi's frantic kisses were intoxicating, confusing all of her muscles until she found herself pulling Naomi closer to her, kissing back just as desperately. She pushed her hands up underneath Naomi's shirt, roughly palming the heated skin of her back and running her hands up along the bumps of her spine.

Naomi continued to push against Emily, forcing her backwards until she hit the kitchen table. Unable to go any further, Naomi pushed herself between Emily's legs, running her finger tips up her thighs and tracing her tongue along the length of Emily's bottom lip. Emily hungrily deepened the kiss, pressing and swirling her tongue against Naomi's as her lungs burnt and her heart felt like it might explode as is struggled keep enough blood throbbing through her body. She dragged her hands from under Naomi's clothes and up to the back of her head, clutching and tangling in her soft hair. She felt Naomi's laboured breath shudder against her lips. She could smell and taste and feel Naomi all over her body, and as her brain struggled to process what was happening, she could only muster one coherent thought: 'Please don't leave.'


	8. Chapter 8

**Right then, have an update :) More angst you say? I'll think about it :D**

**Reviews make the world go round

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The kitchen table scraped along the floorboards as Naomi pushed Emily back against it. Her hands fumbled clumsily with the material of her clothes as she tried desperately to get her hands up underneath Emily's top. Emily felt Naomi's smooth hands rush upwards against the skin of her stomach and ribs, ghosting over her breasts and then her chest and collarbone and shoulders, reading her, feeling her body beneath them again. She tugged Naomi closer, sweeping her tongue into her mouth and clutching at her neck and shoulders, unconsciously allowing Naomi to hoist her up onto the table and wrapping her legs around Naomi's thighs. Naomi kept pushing, kept touching, kept kissing, like if she stopped even for a second Emily would slip away. Her lips left Emily's mouth for only seconds at a time as she pressed heated kisses against her jaw and neck, flicking her tongue along Emily's heated skin and making Emily forget she was in Gina's kitchen, being aggressively felt-up by the girl who had broken her heart. One of Emily's hands left Naomi to rest upon the table behind her, giving her leverage to push herself harder against Naomi. She heard Naomi moan when she felt it, and scrabble tiles were sent carelessly to the floor.

The collection of sounds broke through Emily's siphoned senses, and she suddenly pulled away from Naomi, finding her hands somewhere beneath her clothes and gripping onto them to stop them from moving. Naomi stumbled forward slightly at the sudden lack of contact and slowly opened her eyes. They were clouded with confusion and lust, and Emily could see them gradually focusing as they began to assess the situation. Naomi's breathing was still shallow, and she stepped back from Emily, running a hand through her hair and wiping the back of the other across her lips. She squeezed her eyes shut then, almost in frustration at herself.

'Em ...' she said, opening them again.

Emily, struggling to regulate her own breathing, hopped down from the table. She smoothed down her hair and straightened her clothes and then looked hard at Naomi, intrigued as to what she could possibly say after that.

Naomi's eyes were pleading. She looked like she could cry. Emily knew it was a fleeting moment of intense vulnerability before the sadness shifted quickly into anger, and blame, and all the other things Naomi used to cover up how she felt.

'Why did you do that?' Emily asked, not angrily, but softly.

'I ... I don't know,' Naomi said.

Emily clenched her jaw. 'You don't know?' she repeated.

'No,' Naomi answered as she thought about it more carefully. 'I do know ... but I don't know how to explain it.' Her gaze dropped to the floor.

There was a long pause as Emily calculated whether she should say what she wanted to say.

'Do you know how much I think about you?' Emily asked eventually.

Naomi looked up guiltily.

'Do you know how often I wake up _feeling_ you?' she asked, failing at keeping her voice soft. 'How much I cried when you left? How it took me months to let anyone else fucking touch me again?'

'Em … I …'

'How I've never said 'I love you' to anyone else, because I don't have any more love to fucking give? You took it _all_ Naomi.' Emily felt tears sting her eyes and her throat tried to close around her words. 'You took it and kept it and you won't give it back.'

Naomi said nothing. Emily wasn't sure she even wanted her to. She'd spent so much time and energy trying to forget Naomi, trying to forget how she made her feel. And now her entire body was ablaze with every feeling she'd tried to forget: the sharp, twisting ache in the base of her stomach, the searing heat of her skin, the desire that pounded through her mind and up her spine and down every blood vessel in her body; and then of course the love that tried to rip her chest apart, and the sorrow that succeeded in doing so.

'So you see,' Emily said, calming her voice down and choking back her tears, 'I can't do this, Naomi. I can't kiss you, and think about, and want you. It's too fucking hard. I had you once, and that's going to have to do.'

Naomi looked like she was on the verge of saying something, but instead she just looked back at floor, and listened to the sound of Emily leaving.

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'She's going to leave,' Effy said, looking out of the window onto the darkened street.

Emily had retreated into Effy's room after her encounter with Naomi and hadn't ventured out since. Katie sat on the window sill next to where Effy stood, observing her twin sister who was sat curled up at small as possible on the corner of Effy's bed.

Emily didn't answer. She just sighed and looked sadly over at Effy.

'She'll leave because it's easier for her. She'll probably be gone by the morning,' Effy continued.

'I know,' Emily admitted, having absolutely no qualms about Naomi's incredible ability at making herself scarce during difficult situations.

'Unless you do something about it of course,' she said, turning away from the window and fixing Emily with a peculiar smile.

'Maybe I don't want to do anything about it,' Emily said, watching Katie rest her head on Effy's shoulder.

Katie frowned. 'But if she leaves tomorrow she'll miss the big opening,' she pointed out.

Emily snorted. 'You honestly think she knows anything about it?' she asked her sister with a quirked eyebrow.

Katie thought for a moment, 'Well, she helped us decorate the room, she knows you're an interior designer, she's talked to Gina and Kieran …' she paused. 'How can she not know?'

'Poor, sweet Katie,' Effy said affectionately, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. 'Thinking other people are just as considerate as you.'

Katie looked confused.

'Naomi has a fantastic propensity to not notice anything unless she's unavoidably confronted with it,' Emily said.

'That must get irritating,' Katie observed.

'Are you really going to let her go?' Effy asked, the light from the streetlamps outside catching the wisps of her brown hair.

'It's not my place to stop her,' Emily answered. 'If there's nothing for her here then she may as well just go.'

Katie opened her mouth to speak but Emily interrupted her, 'Why do you care so much anyway?' she asked. 'Surely there's more exciting things in your life than mine and Naomi's soap-opera saga.'

'Because I know how it feels,' Effy answered simply. She didn't say it with sadness, or anger, or any emotion at all really. It was like she was reading out statistics. 'When someone leaves and you can't have them back. I know how that feels.'

'Eff …' Emily began, surprised to hear Effy talk about Freddie so freely, 'It's not the same. Naomi … she's not. Well … you know. Not like …'

Effy silenced her. 'It is the same Emily,' she argued. 'It's shit and it hurts and you think you're bigger than what you're feeling but you're just not.'

Emily watched the time tick by on the clock in the corner, wondering what hour Naomi would plan her escape.

'So you may as well stop her from leaving. Because you're not going to beat this thing,' Effy concluded, leaning into the arms the Katie had wrapped around her from behind.

Emily huffed, irritated at Effy's infinite wisdom as usual. But she was still so angry. She hadn't realized how angry she still was at Naomi for what she did. She wasn't sure she could even see past it.

'She left me,' Emily said, voicing the problem, in all of its wonderful simplicity.

'Yeah, she did,' was Effy's response. 'Man the fuck up.'

'You should be telling that to _her_!' Emily argued, resting her head on the knees she had tucked up to her chest and grumbling, '… she started it.'

When Emily eventually ventured back into the kitchen, she found Gina sitting at the kitchen table with a mug of tea, flicking absently through a gossip magazine. She looked up when Emily walked in. 'I honestly don't know why that sister of yours buys these,' she said, gesturing to the magazine. 'The most exciting thing in this one was a crossword with Simon Cowell's face in the middle of it.' She shook her head. 'Honestly, when that reactionary bigoted idiot becomes the highlight of anything, I take serious issue with society.'

Emily smiled at Gina's assessment. 'I think she just likes the bits about cosmetic surgery going wrong. Which is morbid and creepy. But she's not ashamed.' Emily casually glanced about the room for any clues as to Naomi's whereabouts. 'Have you seen Naomi?' she asked.

Gina tilted her head to one side, 'She left about an hour ago. She said you'd said your goodbyes.'

Emily felt panic wash over her. 'Left? Left for where?' she asked urgently.

'The airport. Kieran gave her a lift,' Gina answered. 'I thought it was all a bit rushed but she seemed intent on getting out. Probably my fault,' she added, 'I tend to fuss over her a bit too much.'

Emily sighed in defeat, 'I'm sure you're not the reason,' she said sadly.

'Has something happened with you two?' Gina asked.

Emily shrugged. 'It doesn't matter,' she said honestly.

Gina gave a sad little smile and rubbed Emily's arm. 'No point worrying about it is there,' she offered as encouragement.

Emily shook her head in agreement.

'Who won by the way?' Gina asked, jerking her head in the direction of the scrabble board that was still on the table. The tiles had been picked up from the floor and arranged back on the board.

'Oh .. um, we didn't finish,' Emily said, stepping closer to the table and inspecting the additions that had been made. On the score table by the side of the board Emily noticed that an extra column had been added, Naomi's name at the top, with a score of twenty four beneath it.

She looked back at the board and discovered three new words. Together, they read: MORE THAN CHEESE.

Emily swallowed hard. 'Gina?' she asked, 'Any chance of a lift to the airport?'

'Gina set down her mug and clapped her hands on her thighs. 'I thought you'd never ask.'


End file.
